Hell hath no Fury!

Posted on Sunday 10 October 2021 @ 18:08 by Lieutenant Nir’anyar

Mission: First Contact
Location: Sick bay
Timeline: After Caroline returned.
1020 words - 2 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

"Now, Lieutenant McPhee... Your turn!"
Anya started across sickbay to the biobed her friend was taking refugee and by the time she was finished with him he was going to wish he had not come back to sickbay!

Hearing those words from Anya made the smile disappear rather quickly from Mathias's face. He was wishing he could leave like what Jack was able to do. "Truly I am well, Anya. er Doctor." wincing slightly Mathias realizing he may have just stoked the fire where she was concerned.

"You may be well but you are under the care of the medical staff and ultimately my responsibility. Given the nature of your predicament is it wise you leave sickbay and go cavorting off around the ship when you know full well we have not been able to identify the reasons why you have a gap in your memory... What would have happened if you had a relapse, collapsed or had an episode... Would we have been able to find you in time, would the medical scanners in sickbay have warned us that you needed extra support... The answer is not Lieutenant so I ask you again, given the situation you are in was it wise you leaving sickbay?"

She had advanced on him like an army going to war, her finger stabbing in his direction or alternating to angry gesticulations of her arms as she had approached him. "What would the Captain have said if she had found out you had left sickbay under those circumstances again placing her at risk of stress and worry which could in turn affect her unborn babies and how is that going to affect the ship by and large knowing the Captain has been rendered incapacitated because one of her own senior officers is using poor judgment... Judgement that could easily have gotten him or... Or others killed!"

"But Anya, Caroline she just got back and it woke me up and I had to find her..." Mathias realized that he was just repeating himself. He closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in through his nose. then letting it out slowly. After being backed against the proverbial wall, Mathias held out his hands in a placating manner. "Anya, take a deep breath. I don't want you to fall to the ground in a heap either." determining to be the cooler head in this situation. "You do have a point on what you said, and it was reckless of me to leave how I did. I do apologize for causing you worry. And I have a gap in my memory yes. The last thing I remember is trying to turn off that damned machine I had turned on. I should have known better. "

She shimmered the instant he claimed responsibility for what had happened but regardless, she was ultimately the one to blame. She had been in command, she had given the order to activate it be it inadvertently or not.

"You were following orders Thias... I'm to blame not you and you being in this position now is on me as well for the same reason. You were under my command at the time... The Captain has seen fit not to accept my resignation but she is putting me through the bridge officers examination. Commander Rejal is my tutor!"

"I am glad you are taking the Bridge officer's exam. That is fabulous, look how were we to have known that thing would have triggered a nigh planetary calamity. And I still don't know why or how it was stopped! All I remember is being hit with some bolt of energy and that was it. What happened Anya? What happened after the crystals were switched around?" Mathias took on a worried expression. "Why didn't I die!"

"That's why we need you to stay here... just for a bit longer. I need to make sure that you are safe and nothing else will happen because of my mistakes. You are my friend and you mean to much to me!"
She placed her hand on his and squeezed in a purely platonic manner. She didn't have many people on Merlin she could go to to talk, but he was one of them.

Mathias nodded, "I will admit, I am frightened, and nervous. I do have confidence in your skills though, Anya. And you mean quite a bit to me as well." taking a bit of a breath. "I would like to know what happened. Maybe the others know what happened, what transpired?" he leaned back covering his eyes with the back of his right wrist, as if to cover his eyes from the light above him.

She felt guilty but she needed to admit to him her own truth about that moment, when he had been jolted.
"I was witness to what happened but I don't think I was taking on board what was happening... I didn't even move to help you, I was just stood there like an old Greg'tori eel with my mouth open in cold waters. I let you down Thias!"

"It sounds like things were traumatic, Anya. So much was happening all at once. I may have frozen as well, I'm not a superman to be honest. Not even a Deity. What ever happened, I will forgive you, but that isn't necessary as I don't hold you to blame." Mathias lowering his arm down to look at Anya.

"Thank you... Now you promise me that you will stay here tonight without leaving so we can monitor you... I will see about releasing you in the morning with a cortical monitor attached... Does that sound fair?"
She needed to compromise and this would be the best she could do.

"I am agreeable to that." Mathias stated, "And thank you." he looked once more at Anya, smiled wearily. Closing his eyes and went to sleep.

END

●● Lieutenant Mathias McPhee
Chief Operations Officer
USS Merlin


●● Lieutenant Nir’anyar
Chief Medical Officer
USS Merlin